pre·co·cious/priˈkōSHəs/Adjective
- (of a child) Having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual
- - he was a precocious, solitary boy
- (of behavior or ability) Indicative of such development
- - a precocious talent for computing
- (of a plant) Flowering or fruiting earlier than usual
Last night I was very un-traditionally called Precocious. At first I was taken aback, but quickly realized that it was one of the greatest compliments I could have gotten.
I never thought much about the word or what it could mean when said of me until last night. While I was fairly convinced growing up that I was stupid, looking back on my younger years now I'm beginning to realize that I was actually a fairly smart child. I learned to observe people at a young age. I knew what love was far younger than most. I understood what it meant to deserve better than I had. At 15 years old I knew that others were making poor decisions on my behalf and the only person who could change that was me. I knew it at such a young age. That alone is the very definition of the word precocious.
That's not how it was meant though... it was meant as a current statement and fact. The very uttering of such an idea caused me to blush as brightly as my hair. It came from a sweet face and a sweet voice in such a way to match the person it came from. I couldn't help but to look down at my feet in a momentary surprise of shyness. It was a nice moment.
I remember you well at the age of 15 and you were very smart and as cute as could be, and well on the way to becoming a beautiful young lady. My parents were divorced but very loving and I can't imagine how I would have felt if they had implied I wasn't smart or pretty. Such cruel comments would have had a very damaging impact on any child. Far too many children during that era were labled as having ADD or ADHD when in fact they were highly intelligent children filled with creative energy that need to be properly chanelled. Instead, teachers and parents were ill advised to place their children on Ritalin or some other type of drug to "settle" them down. It was an easy out for parents and teachers, but I would be interested to know how many of those children suffered adverse effects which they still carry today from being placed on drugs at such a young age. I am sorry to hear you have been through so much in your young life and I hope only good things lie ahead for you.
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